October 2023 Week 1

A new month, a new season which always prompts me to check in with myself. We practiced this week with our new intention - “I choose to forgive myself, let go, and move forward with more peace” and I offered this to everyone to do with it what they may. Does this resonate with you or not at all? Does a part of it resonate with you? We are transitioning from a busy time of summer to hopefully a slower, more introspective winter with autumn in the middle. How can this intention serve you this month?
During class I also offered 2 pieces of yoga philosophy to guide our practice. First, yoga sutra 2:16 - the yoga sutras are basically a series of approximately 200 short verses to help guide our mind toward peace, think of it as the yoga bible in Sanskrit. Yoga sutra 2:16 states: “Pain that has not yet come is avoidable.” Can you see how forgiveness and letting go can help us avoid future pain?
Next, in class we took a tour of the 7 chakras in the body which are the 7 major energy centers running along our spine - these we focused on physically during the poses as well as on an emotional and spiritual level. If you have time, take the class!!!
For now I will share here a little information on the chakras.
Close your eyes if you are comfortable as we tour the chakras:
Traveling from the base of the spine to the crown of the head - help and guide us. Find ways to focus and heal our emotional and physical lives and to connect us with our true selves. Help us to remove the blocks of fear that stand in the way and cause us to “steal” outside ourselves.
Here we go:
1st chakra - at the base of the spine - root chakra, earth. The words are :I am here and it represents groundedness and loyalty. Here we feel connected to families, we feel steady in who you are and where you came from.
2nd chakra - pelvis and hips - water element. The words are: I want. Here we are able to flow with life and be creative and patient.
3rd chakra - solar plexus, base of heart, fire element. The words are: I can. This is where we make change, fire of transformation.
4th chakra- heart, element of air . The words are: I give and receive love. When we are in balance with an open space and breathing fully we have self compassion and love as well as love for others.
5th chakra - element of ether, located in the throat. The words are: I speak. This is how we communicate, how we listen prior to communicating and how we express ourselves outwardly.
6th chakra - 3rd eye, center of brain. The element is light.The words are: I see. This is how we see anything and everything and it relates to the space we hold here. It is our intuition.
7th chakra - Crown chakra, seat of the soul and the top of the head. Here we receive understanding and knowledge, perceive the unity that underlies everything. It is our connections with the divine and manifestation, elevation and meditation - pure enlightenment.

The Chakras build on each other:
1.grounded
2.flow from grounded place
3.flow from grounded place we can change
4.then we can have expanded breath and be open to give and receive love.
5.and we can express that and listen
6.From grounded and cleared place we can listen to our intuition without any blocks and
7.We can feel our connection to everyone and our higher source.

I hope this serves you in some way and I am looking forward to learning and writing more about Sutra 2:16 this month.